Chocolate giant Hershey Co. is being sued, accused of selling dark chocolate that allegedly contains dangerous amounts of heavy metals like lead and cadmium.
This year, Consumer Reports said the popular treat and mood booster was found to contain the two heavy metals which have been linked to a list of health issues in adults and children.
While dark chocolate is often seen as the healthier version of the popular sweet, advocates say products sold by retailers like Trader Joe's, Theo and Hershey contain dangerous levels of cadmium and lead.
Dark chocolate is seen as a better choice for its lower sugar content and studies have suggested that it has antioxidants that may improve heart health.
A Consumer Reports study tested brands like Dove and Ghirardelli along with products from Alter Eco and Mast and found that out of 23 bars tested, just eating an ounce per day would put an adult over a level for the heavy metals that public health authorities would recommend.
The study found that amount to be considered harmful for at least one of the metals they tested for.
Todd M. Scott, Hershey Co. spokesman told Penn Live, “Food safety is paramount at Hershey. We source our ingredients and manufacture our products in accordance with a robust food safety plan that is employed across the full breadth of our portfolio, including our chocolate products.”
